Early education is a very interesting concept to me, and helping kids learn comes somewhat naturally to me. My school, aside from the preschool I went to, started in kindergarten and ended in fourth grade. My experience is probably a bit different from most other kids, who worry about leaving their parents behind for a whole day. Really, this is a monumental step in a child’s life. I missed this step a little bit. You see, I never really left my mom at all in those5years. It was a huge comfort for my brother, who is the grade above me, and me to know that if we ever had a problem, mommy was right down the hall teaching the art classes. Plus, as a bonus, we got to take a class taught by her once every week! I love the idea of education. I think that enriching a child’s mind is so rewarding. For my whole childhood, I got to watch as my mom helped kids grow and develop. I found it fascinating how a child’s mind worked when they were handed a pencil and a paper, especially at such an impressionable age. My early childhood education influenced me quite a bit, probably much more than the average kid, and I have my mother to thank for that. I learned, in the halls of my elementary school, in the chairs of my mother’s classroom, that I wanted to be a teacher too, and that has been the greatest gift of all.
Having the art teacher as your mom was a pretty awesome thing in elementary school, because who doesn't love art?! It didn't hurt that everyone loved my mom as well. From an extremely early age, I was shown the “behind the scenes” of teaching. I knew my teachers both in school and out of school, which was both a blessing and a curse. I got unlimited coloring supplies, and what kind of seven year old doesn't love unlimited arts and crafts?! During class I got to help out all of my classmates and teach them how to do projects, since I already knew what they were. I suppose that is another reason I decided to become a teacher. I learned hands on that I loved teaching other kids what I knew, and I was good at it!
There were definitely perks of having a mom as the art teacher. First off, everyone thought my mom was so cool. I got to hang up artwork for the art shows with my friends and other teachers, go out to dinner with my teachers, be friends with their kids, and not to mention hang out in the teachers lounge! For an elementary school kid, i had it made. I was a crazy kid with so much energy, and knowing every adult in the school was definitely fun, especially because i was never bored.
I also helped to tutor kids in my classes who weren't understanding the curriculum and i loved the breakthrough moments with kids when they finally understand what you're teaching. i kept my tutoring going throughout the rest of my school career, whether it was tutoring kids my age or younger (I hope to help with something like that at URI as well). I was lucky i was given those experiences and my close connection with all my teachers, especially in my early education years.
When you’re young, you repeat what you hear, you put things in your mouth that you shouldn’t, but you also learn and retain more than you could ever imagine. I like that concept. At this age, it is up to the teachers, the child, their parents, and a bit of fate how the child turns out. In most cases, the parent only sees so much, and then it is up to the teacher to discipline the rest of the time. I’m studying to be an English major, but let’s do some math… 13 years of schooling, 180 days in a school year, 7 hours a day. 13 X 180 X 7 = 16,380 hours of school in your lifetime. That is close to 683 straight days of being in a classroom. When you’re in these grades, your mind is still growing, and your teachers are the ones who make sure that you are on the right path in these 16,380 hours. I was lucky. I got watched over constantly and my mother was always in cahoots with all of the other adults in the building. This was good for me in the long run, because i was always caught with antics but i always learned from them as well.
In my case, my mom was there more than usual but not all of the time, and i still learned how to be independent. In my opinion, school is important. It is the test that a child goes through before they hit “the real world”. I’m in college now, and it is strange to think that my mom isn’t another room away, but rather a phone call. I can function perfectly fine in this setting, because my childhood years and my young adult years set me up for that, my childhood education set me up for this.
School has always been something that I have really enjoyed, both mentally and socially. i love the diversity that my school brought into our classrooms and i find it fascinating how there are so many ways to learn and so many different ways to learn them. My school, although it was in a suburban down, bused in inner-city children for classes each morning. I got to meet people who lived differently than i did, and it really opened up my eyes. School has always been something i have been passionate about. Personally, i think that i just got lucky most of the time with all of my amazing teachers, but even from the not-so-great ones, my dreams to be a teacher never faltered. Elementary school is where most of my dreams started, and with the help of my amazing teachers, my wonderful mother and my try-hard ethic, came my love for not only being a deep learner, but also to be a teacher.
Like I said, my childhood educational career was unique, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. If I went to any other elementary school, or didn’t have my mom by my side, I don’t think I would be where I am today. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been given. Although I am not studying early childhood education, but rather secondary education, I still feel like my mom and all of the teachers that I have formed bonds with along the way, helped to push me on that path, and I am so grateful.
Having the art teacher as your mom was a pretty awesome thing in elementary school, because who doesn't love art?! It didn't hurt that everyone loved my mom as well. From an extremely early age, I was shown the “behind the scenes” of teaching. I knew my teachers both in school and out of school, which was both a blessing and a curse. I got unlimited coloring supplies, and what kind of seven year old doesn't love unlimited arts and crafts?! During class I got to help out all of my classmates and teach them how to do projects, since I already knew what they were. I suppose that is another reason I decided to become a teacher. I learned hands on that I loved teaching other kids what I knew, and I was good at it!
There were definitely perks of having a mom as the art teacher. First off, everyone thought my mom was so cool. I got to hang up artwork for the art shows with my friends and other teachers, go out to dinner with my teachers, be friends with their kids, and not to mention hang out in the teachers lounge! For an elementary school kid, i had it made. I was a crazy kid with so much energy, and knowing every adult in the school was definitely fun, especially because i was never bored.
I also helped to tutor kids in my classes who weren't understanding the curriculum and i loved the breakthrough moments with kids when they finally understand what you're teaching. i kept my tutoring going throughout the rest of my school career, whether it was tutoring kids my age or younger (I hope to help with something like that at URI as well). I was lucky i was given those experiences and my close connection with all my teachers, especially in my early education years.
When you’re young, you repeat what you hear, you put things in your mouth that you shouldn’t, but you also learn and retain more than you could ever imagine. I like that concept. At this age, it is up to the teachers, the child, their parents, and a bit of fate how the child turns out. In most cases, the parent only sees so much, and then it is up to the teacher to discipline the rest of the time. I’m studying to be an English major, but let’s do some math… 13 years of schooling, 180 days in a school year, 7 hours a day. 13 X 180 X 7 = 16,380 hours of school in your lifetime. That is close to 683 straight days of being in a classroom. When you’re in these grades, your mind is still growing, and your teachers are the ones who make sure that you are on the right path in these 16,380 hours. I was lucky. I got watched over constantly and my mother was always in cahoots with all of the other adults in the building. This was good for me in the long run, because i was always caught with antics but i always learned from them as well.
In my case, my mom was there more than usual but not all of the time, and i still learned how to be independent. In my opinion, school is important. It is the test that a child goes through before they hit “the real world”. I’m in college now, and it is strange to think that my mom isn’t another room away, but rather a phone call. I can function perfectly fine in this setting, because my childhood years and my young adult years set me up for that, my childhood education set me up for this.
School has always been something that I have really enjoyed, both mentally and socially. i love the diversity that my school brought into our classrooms and i find it fascinating how there are so many ways to learn and so many different ways to learn them. My school, although it was in a suburban down, bused in inner-city children for classes each morning. I got to meet people who lived differently than i did, and it really opened up my eyes. School has always been something i have been passionate about. Personally, i think that i just got lucky most of the time with all of my amazing teachers, but even from the not-so-great ones, my dreams to be a teacher never faltered. Elementary school is where most of my dreams started, and with the help of my amazing teachers, my wonderful mother and my try-hard ethic, came my love for not only being a deep learner, but also to be a teacher.
Like I said, my childhood educational career was unique, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. If I went to any other elementary school, or didn’t have my mom by my side, I don’t think I would be where I am today. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have been given. Although I am not studying early childhood education, but rather secondary education, I still feel like my mom and all of the teachers that I have formed bonds with along the way, helped to push me on that path, and I am so grateful.